Art Berke, a lifelong White Sox fan, has worked at the highest levels of the sports industry with Major League Baseball, ABC Television and Sports Illustrated. He grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the shadow of old Comiskey Park, and proudly proclaims 2005 as the best year of his life. Art offers his glass half-full opinions and observations as he lives and dies with the Sox.

Peavy, GBeck and Thornton Give 2010 Preview

Forget that the Sox were eliminated from the AL Central race last night. It was fun again at the Cell this evening as three keys to the team’s potential 2010 success rose to the occasion as the South Siders shut out the Tigers, 2-0, despite collecting just two hits.

Jake Peavy, now 2-0 in a Sox uniform, was magnificent in seven scoreless innings of work, giving up only six hits while striking out eight. Gordon Beckham, hoping that a surge in the remaining games will put him over the top in the AL Rookie of the year race, hit the two-run homer that stood up as the winning margin. And Matt Thornton, who may emerge as the club’s closer next season, hurled an impressive ninth for his second save of the season.

Happy times have been few and far between lately for the Good Guys. Pennant race or no pennant race it was a sight for sore eyes to see the Sox congratulating themselves on the field and to witness the blasting of fireworks after the game. It’s not close to the feeling we had a year ago when we won the division in the one-game playoff vs. the Twins, but we’ll take what we can get. And the Sox can also derive some satisfaction from knowing they played the spoilers, as the Tigers lead over Minnesota was cut to two games.

Fan of the day: It’s always a treat to discover a White Sox fan in the New York area among all of the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox rooters. A big welcome to Matt Kaplan, who is the newest follower of Art of the Pale Hose. How did he become a Sox fan? He’s either a genius or has very smart parents–or maybe it’s both. Matt, keep rooting for the South Siders. We need your support.

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